Pretty far along the way here now and a good bit has happened in the last week and a half. I have pedalled from South Carolina and made my turn to the right in a small town called St George, Georgia. I spent the night in the woods near a deer processing facility, in the poolhouse of an older couple that I met, in a marshland at Ocean Pond in Olustee, FL and at a bed and breakfast in Madison, FL where I met another interesting couple.
I left South Carolina continuing south and stopped in for an iced tea at a small antique shop in Kildare, GA. The woman who ran the shop asked me if I needed a place to stay and I explained that a bed and a shower is always better than sleeping outside. She put me up in the poolhouse (top) behind her place and they fed me dinner and breakfast. Her pool most likely being the only one in a 20 mile radius, she got her lifeguarding license at the age of 72 so that she could teach all the children in the area how to swim free of charge.
While riding through Hortense, GA, I stopped by a small shop that sold fried chicken in a small portion of a gas station. I ordered the meal, and the ladies who ran the counter asked me about the bike. I explained my story and told them that I was headed home. I was dressing up a cup of coffee and one of the ladies called me over palmed me a bill surreptitiously the way you might if you were requesting a good table from a maitre d'. She told me to have dinner on them that night. I thanked them both. Ladies, if you read this, thank you. I ate well that night. In most cases I would be reluctant to take this money, but I have thought long about the circumstance and situation. Giving the money made them feel good. It was a meal that would have otherwise been canned stew and instant rice... again. I know that they were happy to give that money, and I was thankful for it. So, again, thank you ladies. You are both wonderful.
The last few campsites have been very scenic and indicative of southern scenes. Live oak trees with spanish moss (second), cypress trees on a marshy lake (third). It has all been beautiful and a pleasant experience to watch the scenery change with the latitude.
I stayed in a bed and breakfast in Madison, FL where I met Rae and Steve. Rae is from New Zealand and has undertaken the mission, almost personally, of preserving the architectural history of Madison, FL. Old houses in the small community scheduled to be razed, she fought to have them go to auction where she and her husband purchased the homes at a low price and had the homes moved from their sites and onto their own plot of land within the town (fourth is a recent purchase not yet refurbished and bottom is a finished product). Rae, who grew up learning how to fix homes, oversees the repair and refurbishment of these old homes so that the town can retain its vibrant historic charm.
It was in St. George, GA that I made my turn. From that day on, my cyclometer no longer says "south" very much any more; it reads "west." I am in Tallahassee, FL staying with some new friends that I met last night through my cousin, Mike. Only about a week and a half now until I reach the final destination. If you aren't doing anything around noon on October 12th in New Orleans, perchance I'll see you there. I'll keep the blog up to date on any changes with the arrival date and time.
